Sautéed Asparagus

Living all across the country has given me a new appreciation for the change of seasons. In California, the first sign of spring was the strawberry stands popping up everywhere (oh, how I miss them!). In Massachusetts, where I grew up, the robins started showing up at our bird feeder. In Oklahoma, the weather begins to waver between hot and cold and the rumbles of thunder return. I love that no matter where we eventually settle when this nomadic military life of ours is over I will remember our time in California every time I go to a farmer's market or think of Oklahoma whenever I see those beautiful/terrifying lightening flashes.

A more sure sign of spring across the country though is the ever so slight change in produce prices. Strawberries and asparagus appear. I begin watching for my ever elusive favorite (rhubarb) and the rest of the produce department just looks brighter and fresher.

Asparagus is one those items that the whole family adores and so we gorge ourselves on it in season. I'll splurge a little past the main season but once fall hits and the prices skyrocket I can't justify it anymore. When I saw the prices drop on it last week I couldn't resist grabbing a bundle. I started the season off with the most basic of recipes but it is a standard in our house. I almost hesitate to call it a recipe! We eat this as a side dish with dinner but I love cutting up the leftovers to have in a salad or pasta the next day.

What is the first sign of spring where you live?

Simple Sautéed Asparagus
Ingredients:
One bundle asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

Lay the asparagus flat in one layer (if possible) in a saucepan. Pour the olive oil over them and then the salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste as you go, my numbers above are for reference. After making this one or two times you'll start just eye-balling the amount of salt and pepper you prefer. Stir together so all the asparagus is seasoned and coated in olive oil and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want them to have softened but have a bit of crunch left on the ends. I find that once they become mushy the kids won't eat them.
Serve immediately or save in an airtight container in the fridge to use later.

Roast Butternut Squash Salad

Yes, yes. I know it's holiday baking season and I'm posting a salad. Don't worry there will be more decadent desserts this week and next. Promise! In the meantime, I need to get you this salad recipe. At some point this holiday season you will be going to an event and you will end up being assigned a side dish. If you are anything like me you do two things. First, you panic because you can think of one thousand desserts and not a single side dish that feeds a lot of people and isn't a pain to make/keep hot/eat while standing up. Second, you will wonder if anyone will notice if you brought a dessert even though your last name was assigned sides. Surely everyone else will bring plenty of sides to compensate if one person switches to the dessert side, right? Right?

Well, since at any given potluck at least half the people assigned a side dish will bring a dessert anyway you can probably get away with it. However you don't have to! Not only is this salad festive and seasonal, it's incredibly easy.

I first made this salad over 2 years ago for a fall baby shower. Since then it's become a standard for events or even just dinners with friends when I need to bring a side dish. It doesn't take long to actually throw together (although roasting the squash does require a little planning ahead) and even if you don't want to make the dressing yourself it pairs well with a nice balsamic vinaigrette which you can buy anywhere. You can even buy pre-chopped fresh butternut squash in most grocery stores now-one more step saved!

There will be chocolate tomorrow, I promise :)


Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Cider Vinaigrette 
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

For the salad:
1 1/2-2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash (either a medium squash chopped into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces or one bag of pre chopped squash from the refrigerated section of the produce aisle)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
8-10 oz fresh baby spinach or mixed greens

For the dressing:
3/4 cup apple cider (or juice)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the peeled and chopped squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper until all the squash is coated. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. At about the 15 minute point, add the dried cranberries to the baking sheet. Set aside to cool.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the cider, vinegar and shallots. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the mixture has reduced down to about 1/4 of a cup. Remove from the heat and then mix in the mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Put the spinach into a salad bowl, and mix with the roasted squash and cranberries. Add in the pecans and parmesan. If you are putting the dressing on the whole salad, you want just enough to moisten the greens. Otherwise, serve on the side (which is my preference).

Roasted Acorn Squash

One of the things I miss most about California was how late the growing season went in the year. It felt like it was almost Thanksgiving by the time things really shut down, and by that point there was tons of fall produce available. The part of Oklahoma we live in is more cattle than crop farming so there isn't much of a Farmer's Market. With the drought we've had this year I could barely keep my little backyard garden alive, let alone producing a crop. I can't imagine trying to do that on a large scale here.

My poor husband probably dreads this time of year, because there is nothing I like more than squash, sweet potatoes and root vegetables and he really doesn't care for them. But he eats them because he loves me and I really appreciate it. (Though I eat mushrooms because I love him, so there.)

Even he admits that this squash recipe is good. I mean, it's butter and brown sugar sprinkled on squash and then baked until it almost caramelizes...it's tough to complain about that!


Roasted Acorn Squash
adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp butter


2 tbsp sugar
1 acorn squash

Preheat oven to 425. Slice squash in half and remove seeds in the center. Cut into slivers and place on a baking sheet. Dab each slice with butter. Sprinkle the sugar over all the slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.